You're a US police officer, what are you thinking about going back to the East for?

In a university dormitory in Seattle.

Alex tossed and turned in bed for what seemed like an eternity before finally turning on his computer screen again, logging in with a proxy, and refreshing the encrypted email account.

There was finally some activity in the drafts folder.

[Reassessment complete. Based on the intelligence and details you provided, the probability that Leon Vance was a U.S. agent lured into a trap has significantly decreased. Your continued contact along this route is approved.]

Upon seeing this first sentence, Alex let out a long sigh of relief, and his tense shoulders relaxed.

Thankfully, I don't have to rush off with the bucket right away.

But before he could even feel happy, the following text sent his blood pressure soaring back up.

However, danger still exists. From now on, you must strictly adhere to the following operational discipline:

First, maintain your established persona.

You are still an international student who works part-time collecting corpses, and a blogger who likes to vent online.

Never have the illusion that you are a secret agent. You don't need to learn any counter-surveillance techniques. Go to class, and continue to be sarcastic and cynical towards the United States.

Never suddenly stop live streaming, do not change your current living environment, and especially do not suddenly search for or follow sensitive military or political news online.

Alex swallowed hard and nodded frantically in his mind.

He's used to playing himself; he's very familiar with that. Anyway, he's usually in that half-dead, lifeless state, so this requirement is actually the easiest for him to meet.

The second one follows immediately.

Second, communication disruption.

Cut off all direct electronic communication between you and us. This is the last message you will see in this inbox.

After reviewing the data, immediately and completely destroy the computer's hard drive. There must be absolutely no possibility of data recovery.

"Holy crap?"

Alex glanced at his laptop, which cost him nearly two thousand dollars, with a pained expression. It was his lifeline for gaming.

But considering the luxury single rooms in Guantanamo, he thought a few thousand dollars was still quite cheap.

The draft continued, but the style suddenly shifted to a Cold War-era spy film.

All subsequent information transmission and physical handover will be conducted offline via inactive mailboxes.

The location will be the same as where the umbrellas were handed over previously.

If you have any information or items that you need to pass on to us:

Hang a red shirt on the far left of the clothes rack against the wall on your dormitory balcony. This is the signal to prepare for action. As soon as the signal is seen, the contact person will initiate the process.

When you go to class the next day, if you see a piece of chewed gum stuck to the second fire hydrant on the route from the dormitory to the classroom building, it means we have safely retrieved the item.

If we need to transfer funds or instructions to you:

We will draw a short line in white chalk at the bottom of the first utility pole on your way from the dormitory to the teaching building.

After you retrieve the item from the dead mailbox, you must hang a blue shirt on the balcony, also on the far left side of the clothes rack against the wall, as a confirmation signal that you have safely received the item.

In case of an emergency, such as when you feel exposed or unsafe, immediately hang a pair of red underwear on the balcony, still on the far left side against the wall. Emergency personnel will then intervene.

Regarding the data disks from Raytheon, at a safe time, place them in the dead mail box according to the signal rules described above.

Alex stared at the tongue-twisting code, his lips twitching uncontrollably.

Red shirt? Blue shirt?

The most outrageous thing was that red underwear!

Is this my birth year? If my black roommate Jamal, who's high on drugs in the living room, sees me like this, he might just rip it off and put it on his head as a Spider-Man mask!

But he knew this was no joke.

The most basic physical connectors are often a security measure that even the NSA's big data cannot eavesdrop on.

The reason for emphasizing the leftmost side against the wall is to avoid situations where roommates have also hung clothes there. If you see this, you can adjust the position to avoid any accidents.

He swallowed hard and continued reading.

Regarding Leon Vance: Since he specifically requested that you contact the domestic situation, you can't possibly fool a seasoned U.S. Secret Service agent with vague answers.

If he asks, just tell the truth: there is interest in Bill Gates and the data domestically, but given his sensitive status, we need time to observe and should let him stay there for the time being.

In your daily interactions, you can try to explore, within a safe range, the underlying motivations behind his desire to come to the East, and the origins of his native-level Mandarin.

But remember your role: you are just a middleman connecting people.

Never try to tell him what to do, or attempt to manage or order him around. He is a professionally trained, extremely dangerous, and uncontrollable member of a violent organization.

The funds for subsequent operations will be delivered to you via inbox.